Traction-machine.



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TRAGTION MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILE-D NOV. I, 1912.

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C. L. TOLLES. TRACTION MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 1, 1912.

Patented Aug. 11, 1914.

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APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1,71912. 1106595, Patented Aug.11,1914.

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CHARLES L. TOLLES, or EAU CLAIRE, WISCONSIN.

TRACTION-MACHINE.

Lacasse.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 111, 1914.

Application led November 1, 1912. Serial No. 729,116.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES L.ToLLEs, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Eau Claire, in the county of Eau Claire, State ofWisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTraction- Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates totraction machines using a traction belt, and theobject of the invention is to provide a yielding bearing between thebelt frame and the driving shaft and at the same time maintain a propermesh between the teeth of the driving and driven gears, regardless ofthe character of the ground overwhich the belt and frame may be moving.In machines of this type as usually constructed, if a yielding bearingshould be provided between the belt frame and the driving shaft, thetilting of the frame in moving over rough ground would change therelative position of the driving and driven shafts to such an extentthat the gears might be partially or wholly out of meshwith one another,thus interfering seriously with the operation of the machine.

My invention consists, therefore, in interposing a compensating devicebetween the driving and driven shafts which will accommodate itself tothe tilting of the frame and will maintain a uniform mesh between thedriving and driven gears.

1n the accompanyinggdrawings forming part of this specification, Figure1v is a side view of a traction belt frame showing the driving mechanismtherefor, certain of the parts being broken away and omitted for thesake of clearness, Fig. 2 is a plan View of the driving and driven gearsand the bearings thereforfFig. 3 is a plan view of the yoke in which thedriving shaft and the shaft of the driven sprocket wheel are mounted,Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line of Fig. 1, Fig. 5 is a sectionalview on the line g/-y of Fig. 1, Fig. 6 is a detail edge view of thebearing yoke. Y 1n. the drawing, 2 represents a frame, having a block 3at one end in which the shaft of one of the driven shafts is journaled.Si

4 represents a box at the middleof the frame, adapted to receive thedriving Shaft 5, on which is mounted a driving gear 6. riihis gearmeshes with a similar gear 7 upon a shaft 8 on which a sprocket wheel 9is secured. A belt 10 engages the teeth of the sprocket wheel and has abearing on the underside of the frame upon a belt provided withantifriction rollers 11 which are adapted to run in a guide-way 12provided on the underside of the frame. A bracket 13 is bolted to themiddle portion of the frame and carries a pivoted arm 14 on which wheels15 are mounted. These wheels are adapted to contact with the undersideof the belt 10 in the operation of the machine and support it in ahorizontal position as it travels along over the middle portion of theframe.

Beneath the driving shaft in the boX 14 plates 16 are provided, restingupon coiled springs 17 which are adapted to yield under pressure fromabove or below and are preferably seated in the bottom of the boX 4. Tomaintain the gears 6 and 7 in their proper relative position and preventbinding or cramping of the teeth in the tilting of the tractor frame,provide a compensating device consisting of a forked yoke having abearing 18 at one end that is journaled on the driving shaft and seatedon the plate 16.

The arms 19 of the fork have bearings 20 and 21 at their ends on thedriven shaft 8 and are free to rock on said shaft with the verticalmovement of the driving shaft. The yoke Vis preferably provided abovethe bearing 13 with a web or projection 22 and is adapt ed to contactwith a block of rubber or other suitable material mounted in a recess inthe bracket 13. The inner end of the yoke is thus yieldingly heldbetween the springs 17 and the block 23 and yieldingly resists the upand down movement of the driving shaft.

1n the operation of the device, assuming that the frame strikes anobstruction and is forced upwardly thereby, the springs will yield andallow' the frame to rise and fall without throwing the gears out ofcoperation with one another. rlihis will be due to the fact that theyoke will compensate for the difference in the position of the gears,the yoke swinging on its bearings and accommodating itself automaticallyto the tilting of the belt frame.

in connection with the drivingl shaft 1 prefer to provide a clutchdevice 24 by means of which the application of power thereto may becontrolled.

1 claim as my invention 1. The combination, with a frame and a tractionbelt therefor, of a yieldingly suping vertical movement of said yoke, adriven shaft journaled in said`yoke,'and a gear mounted on said drivenvshaft and meshing with said driving shaft gear. l

3. The combination, with a frame and a yoke, of a driven shaft journaledin one end of said yoke, a driving shaft whereon the other end' of saidyoke is mounted, means for yieldingly engaging said yoke above and belowsaid driving shaft, and gears meshing with one another ou said drivenand driving shafts.

4. Thecombination, with a frame, of a sprocket wheel mounted therein, atraction belt for said Wheel, a bracket mounted on said frame, an armcentrally pivoted on Said bracket, anti-friction Wheels mounted on theends of said arm and engaging and supporting the upper run of saidtraction belt, and means for driving said sprocket wheel. 5. Thecombination, with a frame having a box therein, of a driving shaftfitting within said box, a yoke ournaled at one end on said shaft andadapted to swing verti-.

cally thereon, plates yieldingly supported in said box beneath said yokeand contacting therewith, and yielding means provided above said yokeand resisting upward movemeut thereof, and a driven 'shaft journaled inthe other end of said yoke and geared to said driving shaft.

driving and driven shafts.

6, The combination, With a traction frame having a box therein, of adriving shaft titting Within said box, a yoke j ournaled at one end onsaid shaft, abearing plate yieldingly supported in said box beneath saidyoke, said yoke having an upwardly projecting Web thereon, and a bracketmounted on said frame and provided With a yielding bearing for said Web,and a driven shaft journaled in said yoke and geared to said drivingshaft.

' 7.- The combination, With a traction frame and belt, of a drivingshaft having freedom of vertical movement in said frame, a driven shaftgeared to said `driving shaft and a compensating yoke having bearingsfor said 8. The combination, With a traction frame and belt, of adriving shaft yieldingly supported in said frame, a driven shaft gearedto said driving shaft, a sprocket -wheel mounted on said driven shaftand engaging said belt and means compensating for change in therelative'position of said shafts and maintaining the proper mesh of thegears between said shafts.

9. The combination, with a traction frame and belt, of a driving shaftyieldingly mounted'with respect to said frame, a driven shaft geared tosaid driving shaft, and a yoke mounted to accommodate itself to thetilting of said frame to compensate for the difference in position ofsaid shaft gears and` maintain them in proper mesh With one another. V

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 24 day of-October,1912. i

-CHARLES L. TOLLES.

Witnesses HERM STOCKHAUSEN, Jr., 1".- C. BARLoW.

